Photo Gallery: Sun-soaked action from Coachella 2009

Coachella Festival

MIA joined the Coachella line-up as a replacement for Amy Winehouse, who cancelled due to visa issues. For an exclusive video clip of ‘Paper Planes’ performed live in the desert head over to nme.com/festivals. Pic: PA Photos

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Franz Ferdinand brought the art rock to Coachella at the weekend with a set that included ‘Do You Want To’, ‘No You Girls’ and, of course, ‘Take Me Out’. Pic: Guy Eppel

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Coachella festival takes place at the Empire Polo fields in Indio, California, about two hours outside LA. It’s a slightly surreal place where temperatures regularly exceed 100 degrees and drinking is only allowed in special fenced-off areas. Pic: Guy Eppel

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Airborne Toxic Event play Coachella 2009. The weekend saw hundreds of artists take to the stage, with Paul McCartney, The Cure and The Killers headlining. Pic: Guy Eppel

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Coachella is set over several stages and tents in the Californian desert. The area’s usually used as a polo field and also hosts Stagecoach, a country rock festival, a week after Coachella. Pic: Guy Eppel

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Franz Ferdinand play Coachella. For exclusive video content from the band’s performance head over to our LA correspondent Lyndsey Parker’s blog at nme.com/festivals. Pic: Guy Eppel

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A 75 year-old Leonard Cohen reclaimed ‘Hallelujah’ from the murky world of pop covers during a very special Coachella moment. For more on the performance – and the nine other best bits – head over to Lyndsay Parker’s blog on nme.com/festivals. Pic: Guy Eppel

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Airborne Toxic Event play Coachella 2009. It was only a short drive for the LA-based band, who formed in the city’s Los Feliz district. Pic: Guy Eppel

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“I can smell burning flesh and I hope to God it’s human,” Morrissey remarked during his Coachella set, before walking offstage during a version of his old band The Smiths’ ‘Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others’. When he returned he explained the smell of meat was making him sick. Pic: Guy Eppel

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White Lies treated the Coachella crowds to a set perfected during their recent NME US tour, with The Soft Pack and Friendly Fires. Pic: Guy Eppel

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Coachella festival’s roots date back to 1993 when Pearl Jam played to 25,000 fans. It’s now grown to a three-day bash with well over 100,000 punters in attendance. Pic: Guy Eppel

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Southern rockers Drive By Truckers take to the stage at Coachella. The band recently backed up Booker T Jones on his new album. Pic: Guy Eppel

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The Coachella site is dotted with art sculptures, many of which come direct from the legendary Burning Man festival in Nevada. Pic: Guy Eppel

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The Killers headlined Coachella’s Saturday night. The band recently announced new dates on their US tour – head over to our news section for more details. Pic: Guy Eppel

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The Killers top the bill at Coachella on Saturday. English fans will get a chance to see them on June 26, when they headline the Hard Rock Calling festival in Hyde Park. Pic: Guy Eppel

Credit: Guy Eppel

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Fleet Foxes bring their critically acclaimed folk rock to Coachella. The band are heading UK-bound this summer, with slots at Glastonbury, Hyde Park Calling, Bestival and End Of The Road. Pic: Guy Eppel

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Coachella takes a unique approach to booking acts; they try and avoid inviting anyone that’s played before, which means that over the years and numerous performances only 19 acts have played more than once. Pic: Guy Eppel

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TV On The Radio hit Coachella. The New York band played several songs from their recent album ‘Dear Science’ as well as older material, including their classic single ‘Staring At The Sun’. Pic: Guy Eppel

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TV On The Radio were accompanied by a large horn section and invited
Katrina Ford of Celebration to join them on stage to sing on their 2006 track ‘Wolf Like
Me’. Pic: Guy Eppel

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Coachella boasts a truly diverse line-up across its three days, with
everyone from The Hold Steady to The Horrors, Roni Size, Joss Stone and
Fucked Up playing. Pic: Guy Eppel

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Late Of The Pier wrapped up their first major US tour with a prime-time Sunday night set at the Coachella Festival, playing to a sizeable crowd in the Sahara tent despite a set time that conflicted with My Bloody Valentine, who were performing on the main stage. Pic: Guy Eppel

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Yeah Yeah Yeahs played in front of a huge eyeball while a big inflatable eye bounced around the crowd. They also squeezed in a cover of The Cramps’ ‘Human Fly’ into their career-spanning set. Pic: Guy Eppel

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For more on Coachella head over to nme.com/festivals, where our LA correspondent Lyndsey Parker gives you her top ten performances from the weekend. Pic: Guy Eppel

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Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2009 – Indio

Paul McCartney dedicated ‘My Love’ to his late wife Linda at Coachella this weekend to mark the anniversary of her death (April 17). For a video of the moment head to nme.com/festivals. Pic: PA Photos

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Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2009 – Indio

The Ting Tings’ Coachella set came at the end of an extensive US tour for the band, which has obviously paid off as they played to rapturous response. Pic: PA Photos